Pedaling mechanism for musical instruments.



L H. MAIER.

PEDALING MECHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION YILED JULY 15,1912.

Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1 L. MAIER.

PEDALING MECHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15, 1912.

1,108,199, Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wivtmwmg l H Jl bcoz'er T gin GHQ-MW n 1 V W 49' LUMAW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS H. MAIER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PEDALING MECHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed July 15, 1912.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LOUIS H. Mama, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York city, borough of Bronx, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Pedaling Mechanism for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide pedaling mechanism for operating pumps or feeders in automatic musical instruments, having means for conveniently folding the pedaling devices beneath the key bottom of a piano, and to permit said devices to be lowered for operation of the same.

My invention comprises novel details of improvement and combinations of parts that will. be more fully hereinafter set forth and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein,

Figure 1 is a partly broken side view of a portion of a musical instrument equipped with my improvements, showing the same lowered in position for use; Fig. 2 is a substantially similar view illustrating my improvements folded beneath the key bottom; Fig. 3 is a plan view of my improvements as in Fig. 1, removed from the piano.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 1 indicates pumps or feeders, such as the power bellows of any well known construction commonly employed in pneumatically operated musical instruments, such as player pianos, which is supported beneath the musical instrument 2 in any well known manner, as by being secured upon braces 3. The pumps or feeders 1 are shown located behind the key bottom 1, and the pneumatic action chest 5 is shown secured beneath the piano, by braces 6, between the pumps 3 and the key bottom 1. Chest is shown connected. with pumps 1 by tubes 7 connected with the nipples 8, 9, of said pumps and chest. The movable boards 1 of pumps 1 (hinged as usual at 1 to the stationary boards of the pumps) are provided each with an arm 10, shown. secured to the respective boards 1 at 11 and connected with the free ends of the boards by braces 12, the free ends of arms extending forwardly beneath chest 5 and key bottom 1 in position to be operated. Each arm 10 is pivotally connected at 13 with a link 14: that is pivotally connected at 15 with a pedal 16. I have shown an arm Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

Serial No. 709,401.

10, link 14, and pedal 16 for each pump or feeder 1. The pedals 16 at their lower ends are pivotally connected at 17 with a vertically movable frame 18, shown pivotally connected at 19 with links 20 that are pivotally connected at 21 with a support or the like 22 secured to the frame or other suitable part of the musical instrument. Frame 18 is shown provided with strengthening braces 18 The arrangement set forth is such that when frame 18 is lowered, so as to rest upon the floor at its free end, pedals 16 will be in an inclined position with the pumps collapsed and arms 10 substantially as shown in Fig. 1, and when the pedals are depressed. the arms 10 will be drawn down as in dotted lines in Fig. 1 to expand the pumps.

I provide means for conveniently lowering frame 18 and the pedals, and for raising the same to their folded positions and retaining them in such. positions, as in Fig. 2. To this end I have shown the following arrangement: Arms 261 are pivotally connected with frame 18, at 25, and said arms are shown connected together by cross rod 24 to brace said arms. Arms 24 are shown pivotally supported at 26 upon brackets or hangers 27 shown secured to the lower part of key bottom 4, and one of the arms 24 is provided with a crank arm 28 for operating the arms 24. Crank arm 28 has a swiveled pin 28 connected with a link 29 that is pivotally connected at 29 with a crank-arm 3O pivotally supported at 31 upon a bracket 32 secured to the key bottom. Arm is shown provided with a handle 33, having a projection portion 33 adapted to bear under link 29 when the parts are in the operating position (Fig. 1). A spring 34. connects arm 28, or pin 28*, with a suitable stop, such as a post 35 extending from the key bottom, which spring tends to retain the parts in the folded position as shownin Fig. 2, and to counteract the weight of the parts. A catch, such as a suitable spring, (4, shown depending from the key bottom, may engage handle 33, or any other desired part of my improvements, to aid in retaining the parts folded, Fig. 2.

\Vhen the pedals are to be used arm 30 is swung to the position shown in Fig. 1, whereupon link 29 will push arm 28 to the right, thereby causing arm 2 1 (that is rigidly connected with arm 28) to swing downwardly, and thereby causing frame 18 to be depressed and the pedals to be swung forwardly and downwardly in substantially the position shown in Fig. 1. It will be seen that pivot 29" is above a line passing through the axis of pin 28 and pivot 31, when the parts are depressed, as in Fig. 1, and that engagement of handle 33 with the under side of link 29 causes the parts to remain fixed, assisted by the pull of spring 3 1:, to resist any upward tendency of frame 18 when pedals 16 are operated, thereby enabling frame 18 to remain firmly upon the floor when the pumps are being operated. When the pumping devices are to be folded beneath the musical instrument, handle 83 is swung downwardly and to the left in Fig. 1, whereby link 29 pulls on arm 28 and swings arm 2% upwardly, thereby raising frame 18 and folding the pedals and links under the same, and spring 34: tends to retain the parts in the folded positions. Springs i lupon. links let bear against the pedals when the parts are folded and serve, by their tension, to aid the parts in unfolding by pressing against the pedals when arm 30 is swung from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 1.

By means of my improvements the pedal mechanism may be retained, when not in use, directly beneath the key bottom and keys of a piano and practically out of sight, thereby also enabling a player to sit com fortably in front of the piano without interference by the pedaling mechanism, and the latter may be conveniently brought into position for use by merely swinging arm 30 in a rearward direction.

My invention is particularly applicable for use in grand pianos, equipped with. automatic playing mechanism, such as illus trated in the accompanying drawings, whereby I am enabled to conveniently place the pneumatic action chest 5 and the pumps behind the key bottom out of the way of the operator.

Changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having now described my invention what I claim is 1. The combination of a grand piano, a pump carried thereby, an arm connected with the pump and extending substantially horizontally beneath the piano, a pedal pivotally connected with the arm, a frame pivotally connected with the pedal and pivotally connected with said piano and extending substantially horizontally to swing with the pedal bodily from front to rear, and vice versa, beneath the piano, and means to re tain said frame folded upwardly in a sul stantially horizontal position beneath the piano,

2. The combination of a grand piano, a pump carried thereby, an arm connected with the pump and extending substantially horizontally beneath the piano, a pedal pivotally connected with the arm, a frame pivotally connected with the pedal and pivotally connected with said piano and en tending sul stantially horizontally to swing with the pedal bodily from front to rear, and vice versa, beneath the piano, an arm pivotally carried by the instrument and pivotally connected wi h said frame, a crank arm connected with the last named arm for rockin the latter, and means to retain the frame folded upwardly beneath the piano.

8. The combination of a grand piano, a pump carried thereby, an arm connected withthe pump and extending substantially horizontal y beneath the piano, a pedal pivotally connected with the arm, a frame pivotally connected with the pedal and pivotally con ecteu with said piano and extending substantially horizontally to swing with the pedal bodily from front to rear, and vice versa, beneath the piano, an arm pivotally carried by the piano and pivotally connected with said frame, a crank arm carried by the piano, a link connecting the crank arm with the last named arm for operating the latter, and means to retain the frame folded upwardly beneath the piano.

4. The combination of a grand piano, a pump carried thereby, an arm extending from said pump substantially horizontally beneath the piano, a link pivotally depending from the piano, a frame pivotally connected with said link and extending sub stantially horizontally beneath the piano, a pedal connected with the frame forward of said link, a second link connecting the pedal with said arm, and means for holding said frame folded beneath the piano.

5. Elie combination of a grand piano, a pump carried thereby, an arm extending from said pump substantially horizontally beneath the piano, a link pivotally depending from the piano, a frame pivotally connected with said link and extending substantially horizontally beneath the piano, a pedal connected with the frame forward of said link, a second link connecting the pedal with said arm, an arm connected with said frame to raise the latter, a crank-arm connected with the piano, and a third link connecting the crank arm with said last named arm for operating the latter.

6. The combination of a grand piano, a pump carried thereby, an arm connected with the pump and extending substantially horizontally beneath the piano, a pedal pivotally connected with the arm, a frame pivotally connected with the pedal and pivotally connected with said piano and can tending substantially horizontally to swing with the pedal bodily from front to rear, and vice versa, beneath the piano, an arm pivotally connected with said frame and pivotally carried by the piano, a link pivotally connected with said second named arm, a movable member pivotally connected with said link, and pivotally carried by the piano, means to limit movement of said member, the pivot of the link with said member being at one side of a line passing through the pivotal connection of said link and the second named arm, and the pivotal connection of said member with the piano when the parts are in the folded position.

7. The combination of a grand piano having a key bottom, a pneumatic action chest and pump carried by the piano behind the key bottom, an arm connected with the pump and extending substantially horizontally beneath the piano, a pedal pivotally connected with the arm, a frame pivotally connected with the pedal and pivotally c011- nected with said piano and extending substantially horizontally to swing with the pedal bodily from front to rear, and vice versa, beneath the piano, a second arm pivotally connecting said frame with the key bottom, and means to retain said frame and pedal folded beneath the key bottom with the pedal forward of the action chest.

8. The combination of a grand piano, a

pump supported beneath the piano frame and having its boards extended substantially horizontally, an arm extending from the movable board of the pump substantially horizontally toward the front of the piano frame, a link connecting the frame With the piano, said frame extending from its said link substantially horizontally toward the front of the piano beneath said frame, a pedal pivoted at its lower portion to the forward portion of said frame, a link pivotally connecting the upper portion of said pedal with the end of the arm adjacent the front of the piano, whereby the pedal and frame are supported to swing bodily from front to rear, and vice versa, beneath the piano, and means to cause the pedal and frame to swing downwardly beneath the piano and upwardly and rearwardly beneath the piano.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York, and State of New York this 12th day of July, A. D. 1912.

LOUIS H. MAIER.

Witnesses:

T. F. BoUnNE, MARIE F. VAINWRIGIIT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

